100%Red&White

What like the 100s of skates who had "tickets with the home fans" at SMS in the cup? If there were one or maybe two they certainly didn't make themselves known.

"We're the bestest fans in the worldTM". No Marks

That's 'as-the-crow-flies', by road it's 34 miles. The main difference between the skates and B'mouth is not only are we in the same county as the blue-few but the 17 miles between us is filled with the overspill of both cities and overlap so many are living in each others faces which just intensifies the rivalry.

My first game v Chelsea 1972 (24k, Ron Davies 2, Tommy Baldwin 2 - funny the things you remember so clearly) under floodlights, went with my older cousin and his mates from Shirley Warren. In the Milton to the right of the Toomers (from the pitch) in the big part of the terrace, I was sat on the exit at the back. All night long fans were being bundled out by the OB as the atmosphere crackled around us, as a young impressionable kid I thought this was fantastic and knew were I'd be on a Saturday afternoon from then on.

Good memories. Can't imagine today's players being seen in certain pubs in the Maybush/Millbrook area having another 'one-for-the-road' while playing darts in an after-hours-lock-in on a Friday night before a match!

Message boards have changed, not necessarily for the better. As plenty have said, Saints Forever was very good in the early days, as was the original Ugly Inside site and, if you weren't of a nervous disposition, the B-anter board was mostly entertaining. (and they were free!)

A nice couple of wins over the next week - including one against our friends from along the coast in front of a big SMS crowd - and we'll all be back on track. In an ideal world, of course.

Although I haven't been for a few years, I have been to both Sheff Wed and Utd a few times and I can't ever remember thinking it bad around Hillsborough, I think some people just say any old cr ap to score points. Southampton has got some nice areas but it's also got a lot of 'dodgier' areas and St Mary's isn't exactly the most salubrious district. As much as I love the place.

It would definitely help if people understood that certain parts of the stadium were likely to experience a lot of 'standing' moments. The ones that constantly moan "sit down" would then know where to sit in peace whilst other more animated types could sit/stand with like-minded people. It would never get approval in the Itchen corner unfortunately due to the corporate boxes.

Gypsy? Born 1962 Shirley (near Eddie Horn's - "short, back and sides?") Now Totton.

The big (OK not so big) bad skates are also infamous for rampaging through the Cov disabled section back at their old Highfield Road ground. And we shouldn’t forget their successful assault on QPR’s notorious ‘Family Stand’ at Loftus Road a few years before that. I think they’re just misunderstood

Carlisle were in the top tier recently, used to be that way, guess they've changed it back after the issues after the Palace game last season. I believe they also don't allow flags in the away section, "fire hazard", if anyone was thinking of taking one.

SISA was a great organisation at the outset. From that first meeting in the 'Captains Corner' (or whatever it was called back then), throughout the Branfoot 'campaign' and Bally's 'Welcome Home' evening at a packed-out Polygon - a memorable night - it re-awakened a passion in many fans despairing at where their club was going. But like the wonderful 'Ugly Inside' it eventually got too political and died many years ago. I'll predict it could get a bit messy in the Northam Club on Saturday.

They used to throw bananas at their own black players back in the 80s, it certainly helped Noel Blake get his 5-a-day. True story.

So when are the 'p*mpey-three' back in court for tax evasion, must be soon? Quote of the day: Chris Moyles, Radio One Breakfast Show, approx. 8.05am today. "...Harry Redknapp must be one of the most honest men in football..." He was being deadly serious.

I would say those boots do look like Pulis' looking at the photo in the other 'training' thread. I can see no way Lallana would be running like that yet after his recent knee surgery.

I think a lot of us, players included, have let a bit of complacency set in this season, if we go out with the "we always beat MK" mentality we'll likely come unstuck. Fingers crossed though. This is a very good route - we went Southampton > A34 > Oxford > A43/A421 Bicester/Buckingham > MK - absolute doddle. 2 hour drive, other than a little bit of traffic at a roundabout going round Buckingham, sailed through! A number of pubs along the route. Parked for free in Asda right next to the ground, no problems getting out.

Most of us wouldn't have known her personally but many would have bought a 'Beautiful South' outside the Dell from Daren's mum. Best wishes.

1972-1974: Milton Chocci Boxes 1974-1978: Milton (under the Toomers) 1978-1990ish: The Archers 1990ish-199something: Under East Stand Terrace (Archers end) 199something-2001: Archers Season Ticket Holder With occasional sorties into the West Stand - I think I may have been thrown out of all of them at some point!

Never heard it called that before! And even if the Dell had been able to expand to 30k it would soon have become too small and calls would still have followed for a new bigger stadium. Although the Dell only held 15k, mostly season ticket holders, we had many thousands more members and a long waiting list for STs. The club knew, with a bit of success, 32k was the minimum, proved correct when plans were being mooted to expand SMS a couple of years after moving in. The Dell could be great for atmosphere (a bit like St Mary's) but it could also be, well, a bit like St Mary's at it's worse. I'm sure we've all got great memories of it but I can remember plenty of times stood there wishing the place would wake up. In later years at the Dell the only stand making near constant noise was the Archers, the difference between St Mary’s and the Dell was that when the rest of the ground decided to join in it quickly wrapped around the old place, at SMS, unless it’s a big game, it's dies out before the noise travels to other parts of the stadium. There were at best 1200 singing at any one time in the Archers, there's probably getting on for 3 x that in the (half of the) Northam/Kingsland corner vocally, the only reason it could be worse is as a result of different acoustics in a larger stadium.

I believe this was first reported on Solent this morning not long after the 'Official' Sc_unthorpe statement. IF everything had been agreed and compensation was the only issue I can't believe SFC would have pulled out so easily. IF we had decided Adkins was the number one choice then it wouldn't have been a problem with NA and surely Cortese would have just negotiated until he was happy with paying up the contracts. The only way I could see us "withdrawing our offer" if he was previously picked above everyone else linked with the job, if he was that good, is something like defying the new chairman on your first day at work. We have a game in 2 days we desperately need a result from, if Cortese wanted him here 8am this morning then there's only one place he should have been.

We've (possibly) nicked their manager and their no.2 and their Chairman is, understandably, looking for "modest" compensation. FFS it does make us sound a right bunch of c...................... Are we now looking for our 14th manager this millenium?

This is on the Scunny fans 'Footie-Mad' site apparently from the Telegraph, I did have a look but couldn't see it.

If they've found their way onto Portsea Island they'll think the "knock-out blow" has already been delivered.